old wives' tale

noun

1. a traditional belief, story, or idea that is often of a superstitious nature.

old wives' tale

noun

1. a belief, usually superstitious or erroneous, passed on by word of mouth as a piece of traditional wisdom

Word History and Origins

Origin of old wives' tale¹

First recorded in 1670–80

Idioms and Phrases

A superstition, as in Toads cause warts? That's an old wives' tale . This expression was already known in ancient Greece, and a version in English was recorded in 1387. Despite invoking bigoted stereotypes of women and old people, it survives.

Example Sentences

The shock of what took place down there has him recalling every old wives tale about witches that he has ever heard.

From Project Gutenberg